‘INEC has no justification for withholding my Certificate Of Return’' - Gov Okorocha

The Imo state Governor, Rochas Okorocha has asked the Independent National electoral commission (INEC) to urgently present him his certificate of return as the Senator-Elect for the Imo West Senatorial district election.

Addressing newsmen at the government house in Owerri the Imo state capital, The Governor says INEC does not have any moral or constitutional justification for withholding his certificate of return by acting on a mere allegation by the returning officer Professor Innocent Ibeabuchi who might be playing a script by his political enemies.

“I cannot understand how a mere allegation of somebody, an individual, talking about duress, which has not been proven by anybody, will stop INEC from giving me my certificate of return for an election that I won properly.

“I cannot understand why an individual’s report of a professor who lied, will now be taken more than the report by the Nigeria Police, State Security Service, that said there was no crisis, everything was peaceful. The returning officer should be called to order.” he said

The governor whose son in-law lost in his bid to become the next governor of the state, called on INEC to release his Certificate of return so the issue will not cause any constitutional and political problem for the country in future.

“INEC has no moral justification to release certificate of return to someone who, knowingly, flouted the Nigerian constitution and refusing to give someone his certificate, who won duly.”he said

The electoral body had insisted that it will not issue a certificate of return to Okorocha, who was declared the winner of the election by the returning officer Professor Innocent Ibeabuchi, after alleging that he announced the result out of duress.

Okorocha has, however, taken the matter to court.